Now, I know this is a construction-orientated website, but the speedy way in which the hijacking of a UAE cargo ship off the coast of Oman was resolved bears mentioning here.
I’m sure that you’ve all heard about the plight of shipping crews who constantly battle the threat of piracy – and I’m sure you’ve all heard about the way in which ten pirates hijacked the MV Arrilah-I, a 37,000 ton bulk carrier bound for Jebel Ali over the weekend.
What the pirates didn’t count on was that the boat’s owners, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), had friends in high places, who were not only better equipped and better armed, but were also prepared to step in and do something about the hijacking.
Pirates have run amok in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden, between the horn of Somalia and south-western coast of Yemen, over the past two years and, at last count, 26 vessels were being held captive. Quick action by the Arrilah’s crew and UAE special forces stopped that becoming 27.
It can’t have been encouraging for the crew to see the pirates, armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, approach the vessel – but clear thinking and swift action by the crew meant that the situation was reported to the Dubai-based counter-piracy organisation, UK Maritime Trade Operations, before they locked themselves in a safe room and waited for help to arrive.
The pirates were captured by UAE counterterrorism forces with support from the Air Force and Air Defence services, as well as the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
It’s tremendous to see such action taken, and it’s great to see that 10 pirates have been brought to justice after such a run of terror in the region. They’re not, by any means, the only ones – but they’re the first to be arrested by the UAE, and their capture shows the country’s resolve to rid itself of any and every terrorism threat.
It’s also great to see that these pirates will be prosecuted under UAE law. As it stands, the Federal Criminal code states that any crimes involving military or commercial aircraft or vessels bearing the UAE flag are to be prosecuted in the UAE courts. Pirates face the possibility of life in prison should they be convicted of hijacking.
While the situation remains a serious one for the 26 crews and vessels still under the control of hijackers, the weekend’s incident shows that a galvanised government is a sure force to be reckoned with. Like the schoolyard bully who unwittingly picks on a class runt who just happens to have a black belt in karate, these hijackers’ luck ran out when they simply chose the wrong target.
Let’s hope the remaining ships under terrorist control can be freed as swiftly. The last thing we need is for the situation to escalate.
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